


Shoot Up Some You (And The You is Some Song)

by cloudycalico916



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Barry is pretty awkward, False Identity, Flirting, Fluff, Hartley is a cinnamon roll, Hartley is pretty, Hartley totally goes to karaoke bars in his free time, M/M, Minor Original Character(s), There may be smut later, and Barry is weak for him, aren't we all, but still delicate, first few chapters are not dialogue heavy, idk yet, very adorable
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-09-15
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:06:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26119255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cloudycalico916/pseuds/cloudycalico916
Summary: Barry visits a new bar and runs into the last person he expected to see performing there. Shenanigans ensue.
Relationships: Barry Allen/Hartley Rathaway
Kudos: 15





	1. Bliss & Brew

A freezing wind ripped through the air, quickening Barry’s step. He muttered a curse under his breath wondering once again why he couldn’t have gone to his local club, instead of trudging all the way to some fancy pub he’d never even heard of before. How long has this place been here anyway? He didn’t think he’d ever heard anyone talk about it before Wally recommended it to him. Glancing up Barry let out a relived sigh when he noticed the lit up neon sign of the bar growing nearer. Knowing how ridiculous it looked he glared at the air before him which grew cloudy with his breath.

The warm, humming aura of Bliss & Brew enveloped Barry and he immediately felt at ease in the dimmed amber lighting. Shrugging of his jacket he took a closer look around. An array of round tables were placed strategically around the room, each one given a clear view of a small stage at the back of the room, next to which a live band was just chilling out and having a drink. On one side of the room a bar counter stretched across, while on the other side, a variety of instruments littered the stretch of wall and soft glowing lightbulbs hung from the ceiling by delicate wires. 

Barry was impressed by the cleanliness of the place, he hadn’t expected it to be so low-key. Suddenly in a much better mood he made his way to the bar, awkwardly ordering a club soda, feeling slightly out of place again as the well-dressed bartender quietly prepared his drink. He took another glance around the room spotting an empty table in the back corner. Thanking the bartender for the drink he claimed the table, the tension in his shoulders releasing at the relief of finally getting off his feet. Barry pulled his phone out of his pocket, scrolling mindlessly, giggling at the screen from time to time.

A few minutes passed before a loud excited voice startled the speedster out of his daze. “Hey everyone! I’m Jayden for anyone new here! We’re about to begin our performances, if you could just sit tight for a moment while the band warms up, we’ll have your first performer up in just a second, fan favorite, Kyle Heart with ‘Pop Goes The Universe’ by Andrew McMahon. I think you guys will really enjoy this this one, have a great night!” Slipping his phone into his pocket, Barry looked at the stage where an enthusiastic woman with curly purple hair was practically shouting into a microphone. He looked on slightly confused as ‘Jayden’ skipped of the stage handing the mic over to a figure standing in the shadows.

An excited murmur swept across the other tables as people began to perk up for the upcoming show. Barry’s attention was once again drawn away from the crowd when a familiar voice took over the mic. “Hi guys, I hope you enjoy my performance tonight.” Sparing a look at the stage Barry did a double take, his mouth dropping open in surprise. He hadn’t recognized the name Kyle Heart and he didn’t know what he’d expected but certainly never would have considered Hartley Rathaway to be the one gracing the stage with his presence. Sitting there in shock, Barry could do nothing but look around in disbelief, his confusion only growing as the other people in the bar cheered for ‘Kyle Heart.’ 

The music started and jolted Barry back to attention. Then Hartley opened his mouth.


	2. Hartley's Spell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry discovers the spell and curse of Hartley's voice

Barry could appreciate music, sure. He’d never taken it super seriously but he enjoyed singing every once in a while and he could appreciate a good voice. By no means did he consider himself an expert on music but the moment Hartley opened his mouth he knew he was doomed.

From the ashes, ashes   
I’m seeing faces on the T.V. screen   
Wearing fake eyelashes   
High end fashion from a magazine   
And if the path don’t matter and the future’s here   
Then there’s no sense looking in the mirror, mirror   
You can change your life,   
You can change their minds 

Hartley’s voice came out in low smooth rumble and a slow smile took over his lips, innocent with a hint of sly knowing, as if he secretly knew that his voice alone demanded the attention of the stars themselves. His eyes were closed in concentration behind the glare of his glasses, his head bopping slightly to the beat. Barry looked on in anticipation and wonder. Fumbling slightly to remember if the calm, happy man on the stage was really the same rude, sassy, shameless, guy with a desperate look in his eyes. In the back of his mind he felt a twinge of guilt for enjoying the performance. He knew it was ridiculous, Hartley wasn’t a bad person. Sure he’d made some questionable decisions, decisions that Barry could somewhat understand after learning the truth about Eobard Thawne but his hand still twitched when he remembered the crippling, stabbing pain of the Pied Pipers gauntlets ripping through his cells.

And if you play their games   
Then pop goes the universe   
Dye your hair and change your voice   
You’ve got a brand new name   
Then pop goes the universe   
Pop, pop   
Pop goes the universe 

From the ashes, ashes   
Think I’m turning into someone new   
It’s a long way down   
I’ve got to leave this town   
I've got a lot to prove   
And if the path don’t matter and my future's here   
Got a new reflection in the mirror, mirror   
I can change my life I can change their minds 

Someone new huh. The song seemed fitting for Hartley, Barry thought. Even from his table in the back he could see a difference in how the brunette held himself. But maybe that was due to the difference in the circumstances of which they normally met. Had Hartley considered turning a new leaf? Barry certainly wouldn’t be opposed to the idea, they could use some more help on Team Flash… What? Wait no. What was he doing? This was Hartley Rathaway. He could sing sure, but since when did that equate to joining team flash? What was happening…

If I play their game   
Then pop goes the universe   
Dye my hair and change my voice   
I’ve got a brand new name   
Then pop goes the universe   
Pop, pop Pop goes the universe

Cut my hair  
Change my voice   
Got a brand new name   
And no one knows me  
I can change their minds 

Cut my hair   
Change my voice   
Got a brand new name   
And no one knows me   
I can change their minds   
I can change their lives

The word’s echoed in Barry’s head, melting away his inner turmoil. He stared transfixed as Hartley ran his hand up and down the mic stand his other hand coming up to press against the white shirt covering his chest. He was still smiling but his eyes now burned into the crowd. Barry couldn’t quite pin the look.

If I can play their games   
Then pop goes the universe   
Dye my hair and change my voice   
I've got a brand new name   
Then pop goes the universe   
Pop, pop   
Pop goes the universe   
Pop, pop   
Pop goes the universe   
Pop, pop   
Pop goes the universe   
The universe Pop, pop 

“Pop goes the universe… Alright, thanks everyone, have a good night.” Applause and excited whispering filled the room breaking Barry out of his spell. He took a surprised look around having forgotten that there were other people in the room. Quickly shifting his attention back to the stage he watched Hartley send a wink into the crowd before jumping down from the stage, weaving his way through tables, eyes seemingly fixed on someone at a bar. 

Barry felt a little creepy but he couldn’t draw his eyes away from Hartley’s small form as he approached a tall dark haired man who spun around on his barstool to meet him. They exchanged a few words, Hartley looking up at him over his glasses with a light blush dancing across his cheeks. The man smirked standing up, and grabbed a coat from the stool next to him, reaching around Hartley to rest it on his shoulders. Okay then. Barry hurriedly looked down at his long forgotten drink feeling awkward all of a sudden, not wanting to watch as the man lead Hartley out of the bar with a firm hand on his back.

Barry started gathering his stuff, pausing for a second as he picked up a conversation from the table nearest to his “-retty great right? I knew you’d like him, His name’s Kyle Heart. I looked on the website, apparently he’s here most Tuesday and Saturday nights. You should come with me! We can make it a date? Maybe? I-I mean if you’re not-“ Tuning them out Barry smiled a bit. He knew what his plans for Tuesday were.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter, I wanted to add more stuff like Hartley signing while singing but I couldn't fit it in, let me know if that's something you'd like to see though and i'll be sure to add it in later chapters. Heres an actual video of Andy Mientus singing this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NtNCsZOwUQ&list=WL&index=88&t=0s


	3. The power of overcoming denial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry shoots his... well not shot. He fires a mini bubble to test the waters. :)

Throughout the days following his night at Bliss & Brew, Barry had difficulty focusing on anything. He couldn’t put that fateful moment from his mind. But as much pleasure as he received from replaying the memory of Hartley’s performance, each time he recounted it he was able to remember it less and less. He was already finding it difficult to recall the smooth, enchanting, quality of Hartley’s voice. It was as if he were a dying man attempting to preserve water in his hands, everything valuable about the situation was slipping through his fingers. This was enough to drive him just a little crazy. 

Barry wasn’t ready to really think about why he was so eager to return to the bar so he settled with the weak excuse of being curious of what villains did in their free time. Even as the thought crossed his mind, he shook his head at how pathetic it was. He didn’t consider Hartley a villain since he stopped being an active threat. Barry smirked a little remembering the first time he encountered the Pied Piper and his line about leather fantasies. Suddenly quite happy about being alone and needing a distraction, Barry started to plot how he was going to approach his second visit to Bliss & Brew.

Should he try to talk to Hartley? Remembering a specific detail from that night, Barry got a little anxious again. Hartley had left the bar with someone almost immediately after leaving the stage. Was that his boyfriend? A fling? Would he be there tonight? Would he even get a chance to talk to Hartley? What if he did? What would he even say? What if mystery guy was Hartley’s boyfriend, and saw him talking to Hartley? Would he think Barry was trying to-? 

“Hey Barry.” A bored sounding voice interrupted his spiraling thoughts. He jumped, only just managing to stay on his chair and spun around in an attempt to be casual. “Uh, hey, Cisco. What’s going on?” Cisco regarded him with suspicion. “Nothing?” he said slowly “I was just gonna ask if you have a preference for dinner?” “Huh?” Barry blinked dumbly. “Remember? Harry and Jesse are dropping in tonight? We were going to have a takeout feast?” Cisco narrowed his eyes “Are you ok man? You’ve been pretty out of it. Wait, this isn’t ‘cause that guy escaped yesterday is it?” Barry turned a little red at the example of his uncharacteristic distraction. He really had to figure this out. 

“Well actually, um, you know…” “You forgot.” “I forgot. And I already have plans for tonight, and yeah I can’t make it” He felt just a little guilty. “Uh huh.” Said Cisco looking at him even weirder than before “you have plans that don’t involve any of us?” “Its like you think I have no life outside work” Barry said defensively. “But yeah, sorry. They’ll be back for the Christmas party though right? I’ll see them then, let them know ok?” He said, his tone becoming apologetic. Cisco nodded absentmindedly leaving the cortex. 

That evening, Barry rushed out of the house, clumsily pulling on his coat. Christmas was two weeks out and the excessive décor on every street corner being shoved down the throats of every passerby made it unmistakable. He wished he hadn’t been wearing new shoes, he could’ve been over there in seconds, but he supposed he could use the time to think. Still unprepared to face the question of why he was so eager to meet the former villain again, the entire way to the bar was spent trying to avoid the thought and before he could comprehend it he stood at the entrance to Bliss & Brew. He took a deep breath and stepped inside.

Once again the inviting atmosphere succeeded in chasing away any anxious thoughts. Sweeping his eyes across the room he didn’t spot Hartley. He did arrive earlier than he had on Saturday just in case. There was nothing to do but wait so Barry approached the bar ordering a club soda. There was a different bartender this time, he noted silently. He finished his first drink and ordered another, deciding to move to one of the round tables. The barstools were a lot less comfortable. Just as he was dismounting the stool, drink in hand thinking that perhaps this was a bad idea he turned immediately knocking into a small figure.

“Woah-“Barry exclaimed holding his drink up and reaching out to steady the other person who grabbed his arm to keep from falling over. “Barry?” He looked properly at the other person and immediately lost his words. Hartley had spoken in a soft startled voice returning Barry’s gaze with as much surprise as was directed at him. By the next second they had recovered from their daze Hartley removing his hand from Barry’s arm, and Barry lowering the hand with his drink, straightening up. 

“Uh Hartley! Sorry about that, I wasn’t watching where I was going” he said awkwardly but with as much pleasantness as he could muster. “No that’s alright, I wasn’t looking either” was the uncomfortable response. “I haven’t seen you here before, did you come for a drink?” Hartley asked curiously, pushing up his glasses which had been knocked down his nose. “Y-yeah, something like that uh what about you” the brunette turned a little pink suddenly fiddling with the cuffs of his jacket, it was soft black leather and oversized. “I do uh performancesheresometimes” his voice grew quieter in embarrassment and looking around for a change of subject he pointed at the nearest table, “Have a seat?” he asked hurriedly. Nodding with an amused smile Barry and Hartley made their way over to the table. 

He took the opportunity to look over the former villain. Hartley was shorter than he recalled, the oversized jacket making him look tinier yet, his black jeans clung to him, hugging his thighs in a way Barry tried not to think about, lowering his gaze farther, his eyes trailed across Piper’s lace up boots which stopped just below his knees and had a slight heel which strangely made no sound as he followed him to the table pulling out both his and Hartley’s chair. He muttered a soft thanks. It was strange. Seeing Hartley so…Coy? Subdued? Modest? Whatever it was, seeing him act like this was disarming but it made Barry a bit more confident, he guessed it was because he wanted to make it more comfortable for Hartley. When Hartley gazed at him with his huge doll like eyes Barry felt like he should be offering up his coat or buying him a drink. But half of him also wanted to see the sarcastic version of Hartley to make sure he was actually okay and normal. Not for the first time, he wondered if the man had placed him under some sort of enchantment. 

Hartley leaned on the table a bit looking up at Barry, “So, how are things at Star labs? I don’t need to worry about any major Villains barging in here do I?” he asked, eyes shining a bit. Barry gave a dazed laugh “I would hope not, though things have been unusually quiet lately, we’ve been working on ways to improve the pipeline conditions.” This was a safe answer, he didn’t think this would give away too much about the more confidential flash work but he second guessed his choice when he noticed a frown appear on Hartley’s face at mention of the pipeline, his hand twitched and he brought it up to subtly rub behind his ear as if he had an itch. “That’s good I suppose, It’s quite an unpleasant experience, not to mention very illegal.” He said shortly. 

Feeling a bit ashamed and willing for a change of subject he quickly sputtered out “So, Hartley, you said you perform here?” the effect was immediate, Piper ducked his head and scratched at a crack in the table varnish, but Barry could see the tips of his ears which were a light pink. Seeing an opportunity he prompted further “That’s why you’re here tonight right?” A nod. “I didn’t know you could sing, have you been doing it long?” Hartley looked up composed but slightly surprised. “Yeah that’s right, I took vocal classes all through school. After… Well I know the owner of this place, we reconnected last year and she told me if I needed some extra money I could sing here, so I’m here twice a week. Actually…” he pulled back his sleeve glancing at the watch that sat there “It’s about time for me to head to the stage” he looked sheepish. “Wait for me here? We can talk some more after.” Barry nodded eagerly. Hartley smiled a bit, not taking his eyes of Barry’s “Don’t miss anything please…” he glanced back once and walked quickly to the side of the stage, shoes soundless. 

Hartley spoke quickly to a woman Barry recognized as the purple haired girl from his last visit. She handed him a mic and he ran up the steps of the stage, calling a few words to the band before turning to address the crowd. “Hello everyone! Im Har-um, Kyle Heart. Now, I know it’s Christmas season but the song I have tonight is called Valentine’s Day, I really like this song and I hope you enjoy it too!” he spoke cheerfully pulling on the hem of his jacket. He locked eyes with Barry and the band started up with a twangy bouncy sort of beat. “He was a greeting card candy cupid,” 

There was a blizzard it was twenty below, 

She was 15, clean, lonely and stupid, 

As pure as the virgin snow, 

He pulled her in from the storm, 

Oh the fire was warm, 

She didn't have the nerve to say no, 

She didn't have the nerve to say no, 

Beat her till she's black and blue and grey, 

Draw a little heart, Draw a little arrow, draw a little blood, 

V-v-v-valentine’s day, 

Hartley closed his eyes tilting his head. Listening. Barry’s heart raced as he watched the man on stage, he could practically see the content confidence hang around him, like a soft glowing aura that made him look a bit like an angel. His eyes flew open again and he fixed Barry with the same intense stare that he was unable to recognize his previous visit, a rich sound spilling from his lips getting increasingly stronger. As the song picked up more so did Piper’s movement and he danced across the stage tipping his head back a look of pure bliss on his face. 

Red wine Waterford crystal, 

Chocolate kisses and lace, 

Knives and chains and a pistol 

Mounted on a wall like scars on her face, 

He said he liked to play rough, as he locked the handcuff, 

She knew it would be tough to escape, 

She knew it would be tough to escape, 

Beat her till she's black and blue and grey

Draw a little heart, 

Draw a little arrow, 

Draw a little blood, 

V-v-v-valentine’s day, 

February winter in her heart, 

Said I’d show her normal love she said, 

Too late to start, 

She said too late to start, 

Now her fashion is basically leather, 

Favorite color is basically red, 

And her passions change like the weather, 

As she dances from bed, to bed, to bed, 

And she feels like a fool but she likes her men cruel, 

I doubt shell be cool till she’s dead, 

Doubt shell be cool till she's dead, 

She says beat me till I'm black and blue and grey

Draw a little heart 

Draw a little arrow 

Draw a little, blood she says draw a little arrow, 

Draw a little heart, 

Draw a little arrow, 

Draw a little blood 

V-v-v-valentines, 

V-v-v-valentine’s day, 

Valentine’s Day, 

V-v-v-valentine’s day, 

Valentine’s Day, 

V-v-v-valentine’s day, 

Valentine’s Day!

By the end of the song Barry had a hot flush creeping up the back of his neck and he shifted his legs in a lame attempt to stifle a slight pressure between them. Hartley’s gaze never left Barry and his own eyes were bright, he had a pink blush across his cheeks, lips barely brushing the mic which he held with a tight grip. The band finished with a flare, but neither of them noticed until the crowd burst into applause. Hartley looked around startled, he bowed hesitantly thanking the crowd before jogging of the stage. Disposing of the mic he bounced over to where Barry sat, grinning breathlessly “what did you think?” Barry smiled back brightly “That was amazing! I’ll admit, you really surprised me” Hartley’s eyes sparkled “Well, being amazing is a daily occurrence for me, one day you’ll get over the shock.” There it is Barry thought happily. “Well I guess I’ll just have to hear you sing more, you know, to get used to it” he said feigning innocence. Hartley looked down, shy again “Well I’d better up my game then, wouldn’t want you to stop coming around” he said quietly. Barry bent his head slightly trying to see his face.

At this point Barry had given up on denial, after that performance there was nothing to do but fully accept that he maybe sort of had a tiny crush on Hartley. It was sure to pass soon but in case it didn’t… Well he might as well do something about it right? “Well maybe you could, text me your show dates… uh so I can plan in advance.” Hartley’s eyes shot up in shock. Barry’s heart raced hoping it was the good kind. Pipers expression changed to one of confusion and a flicker of hurt sparked across it for a moment “Really…?” he asked uncertainly. “Y-yeah, of course” Barry said frowning, he was becoming less sure of himself by the second. Hartley’s head was tilted slightly seemingly listening to something, whatever he heard seemed to satisfy him because he brightened up a bit and gave a hesitant “Yeah alright then.” they gave each other shy smiles. This might actually... well, he didn't know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was fun :) I just started school hence the delay. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85RjDgUBAbA


	4. Inside Pipers Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hartley sets aside time to think about the wave of confusion that is Barry Allen

Hartley was confused as hell. Barry Allen was a large part of that confusion. Actually he was responsible for all Hartley’s confusion today, and he decided to get to the bottom this confusion as quickly as possible, he couldn’t have it distracting him, so he set aside a reasonable amount of time to go for a walk, and think about it in the comfort of the cool air.

Piper walked along the bridge slowly, puffing out clouds of condensation in the cold morning air, his glove clad hands clutching the hot paper coffee cup, his fingers were icy but his palms felt close to burning, even through his gloves, and he could hear the soft scratching of wool on paper. He was wrapped up in a black coat that was far too large for him, Piper had discovered it on the floor near his coat rack a few days ago when he’d woken to find that the guy he’d come home with the night before was gone. (It didn’t bother Hartley much, really. He didn’t even remember the guy’s name.) Anyway, he had more important thoughts to attend to. 

So, Barry. Stopping to lean on the railing he took a sip of his coffee. Seeing him at Bliss & Brew had surprised Hartley for sure, he was actually kind of embarrassed to perform in front of him but the feeling had passed rather quickly and changed to something akin to enjoyment. When he had talked to him afterwards Barry had been… Flirting with him? This was where Piper couldn’t trust his own judgment. He knew he was bad at following social ques and while most people were predictable he couldn’t assume Barry was interested after a bit of flirting that obviously had no ulterior motive, there was no way he would be, it wasn’t too far back that Piper had tried to kill him after all. And people didn't move on that easily. At least he didn't. 

Was Hartley interested? Was that why he was hesitant to define Barry’s attitude as flirting? He supposed he did like Barry, or tolerated his presence at the very least. He was looking forward to seeing him again but he hadn’t contacted him yet. They had exchanged numbers that night, and at the time Hartley had thought it was some horrible joke, but he was something of a walking lie detector, and Barry’s abnormally quick heartbeat hadn’t stuttered when he assured Piper that he was serious. At that he had reasoned with himself that he wasn’t worth the time it would have taken the speedster to decide to make a joke of him. Anyway, Hartley decided taking a sip of his too hot drink, even if he did like Barry it was sure to pass in no time. Still… it wouldn’t hurt to have a bit of fun with it while it was there.

Smiling to himself, Piper chugged the rest of his drink to hide it and kept walking, remembering their first meeting, back when he’d been Pied piper. Barry had been a shuffle-y, awkward sort of guy. Sweet, but a little hasty, though that may have had something to do with the fact that Piper was shamelessly hitting on him. He couldn’t help it, Barry was a pretty boy who literally ran around in a tight leather suit. Besides, it had only been harmless flirting at the time and Hartley had quickly been discouraged by the lack of response. It was like none of them knew how to have fun. Quickly he changed his train of thought, not wanting to stray too close to the buried thoughts of the pipeline.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm switching between the name Hartley and Piper because I imagine that even though he appreciates the disassociation of the Rathaway name that comes with Piper, he cant quite let go of the hope that he may one day be accepted by his family that should go die in hell so he still clings to Hartley


	5. Coffee Endeavors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Isn't the first time someones bought me a drink."

Jitters coffee is okay. He supposes it’s better than the soil water crap they supply in the little corner of his doctor’s office. He would pick Jitters over that shitty excuse for coffee any day, and Hartley guessed he should be grateful to even be getting coffee but it didn’t stop him from being just a little bitter that his usual place was so far away. 

He was standing in line, and the bitterness wasn’t enough to cover his slight anxiety at the thought of having to rush to pay, not wanting to keep the people behind him waiting. The line shuffled forward. Finally. Whoever had been at the counter clearly did not share Hartley’s anxiety. Should he get his wallet out now? No it was too soon, he would just look awkward. Vaguely, he registered the feeling of eyes burning into him. 

Hartley could feel a dull pounding near the back of his head and resisted the urge to massage it. He’d been experiencing headaches lately but a quick visit to his doctor told him that he was fine, he just needed a new glasses prescription. He thought of the price for new lenses and the throbbing seemed to get worse. He distracted himself with thoughts of his pantry. Did he have any more cake mix left? It hardly seemed reasonable to bake something when he had no one to share it with.

The person in front of him stepped to the side and Hartley shuffled up to the counter, fumbling slightly over his order. He opened his wallet to pay but the barista stopped him with a smirk “No need, the guy two before you took care of it.” Hartley’s head shot up in surprise and the barista nodded her head in a general direction, eye’s glued to the tablet before her. He risked a glance expecting (from experience) to find some sleazy, hulking guy. Instead Hartley almost dropped his wallet at the sight of a very smug Barry Allen leaning on a table, his own drink in hand. 

Feeling red creep up his neck and across his cheeks Hartley swiftly thanked the server and took his time walking over to Barry, head tilted a bit, a curious smile playing at his lips. “Should I be looking into a restraining order?” Barry let out a short laugh at that and Hartley’s smile widened against his will. Barry gestured to the coffee clutched in his hand “You don’t mind do you?” he asked with a hint of uncertainty. “Isn’t the first time someone’s bought me a drink” Barry’s eyebrows lifted slightly and he opened his mouth to talk but Hartley interrupted him with a sudden spur of confidence “it is the first time I feel inclined to… Return the favor though” He shifted his weight from foot to foot, nervous again. “Oh, it’s alri-” “How about I pay for dinner?” he blurted out going pink.

A moment of silence (it felt more like a century) passed and Hartley felt himself panicking as the seconds went by, he couldn’t bring himself to look at Barry instead opting for the barista who looked like she’d rather be anywhere else. Just as Hartley was about to apologize, face burning, and leave as quickly as humanly possible, Barry spoke up. “Dinner?” Hartley wanted to slap himself, what was he thinking!? “Look I’m sorry, thanks for the coffee” he turned around to make his escape but a hand on his shoulder stopped him “No, I’d like to get dinner. Really” 

Hartley risked a glance up and it calmed him a bit to see that Barry was as red as he felt and was failing miserably to suppress a goofy grin. “Okay then” He bit his lip to hide his own smile, “we can work the details over text then?” Barry nodded eagerly and fumbled something about needing to go but Hartley could hardly hear him over the sound of complete and utter relief and after an awkward round of goodbyes, he practically flew out of the store waiting till he had turned the corner before letting out an embarrassing squeal and shaking his arms around like crazy. He composed himself just a quickly, attempting to glare at anyone giving him a weird look but it was hardly threatening with the blinding grin he was unable to hide. 

***

Barry couldn’t believe it. He really couldn’t. He pinched himself multiple times and after coming to the conclusion that Hartley Rathaway really had just asked him on a date, he was in disbelief again. Wait, was it a date? Technically they didn’t clarify… Damn it. He probably shouldn’t have left so soon either. He also should've answered faster, Hartley was clearly about to leave before he accepted. Suddenly regretful that he didn’t think quickly enough to say something suave or cool he pinched himself again. His disappointment was short lived through because as soon as he once again processed that he had a maybe-date with Hartley Freaking Rathaway he couldn’t help zipping to StarLabs and back a few times, a broad smile plastered on his face, as he replayed Hartley's nervous words in his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not really great at writing dialogue, mostly because I'm pretty socially inept myself, I hope I did OK here though. I am in no way a writer and don't care too much for it if I'm being honest, I love reading but writing is not my forte, so I am very aware that my Writing is mediocre and I use cliche stuff, but if I want to stop thinking about it then writing it out is my next best option. Anyway that being said, this was pretty fun hope you enjoyed :)

**Author's Note:**

> This was a pretty short chapter but I just wanted to see how everything worked on AO3 before diving head first into this story. I've had this idea for a while because I'm a big Andy Mientus fan, he's the only reason I even watched the flash, and I keep imagining Hartley singing his songs at a karaoke bar. I think all the songs Hartley sings in this will be from actual performances Andy has done. Also, good for you if you got my tiny Smash reference. Hope you enjoy this! xx


End file.
